The #BOTSQUAD Recruits: Stephanie Counts

We’re proud to introduce the five recruits who are taking on the 6 Week Fitness Challenge powered by Back on Track. Over the next six weeks, we’ll be publishing progress reports and videos from each participant, and this week we’re doing introductions. Meet our next recruit, Stephanie Counts:

Hi guys! I’m Stephanie Counts and I’m so pumped about this challenge! I have been a long-time believer in Back on Track’s products and am known for giving them as gifts (it’s not so bad to get socks for Christmas if they are BOT socks!). I am wearing my Back On Track wrist brace and knee brace as I type and I’m so thankful for them because yesterday was my first day back to cross fit since January. It was ‘squat day’ and I am seriously feeling the burn in my legs today … I may or may not have fallen down the stairs in my house this morning in an effort to make my legs work. At least I wasn’t holding the baby at the time.

I own a boarding and training farm in Auburn, AL called Silver Lining Equestrian Center. My farm is my overgrown baby, having started 10 years ago with two ponies and four kids, and it is now 33 (full) stalls with about 50 students a week and more weed-eating than one person can possibly keep up with. Learning how to be my own landlord has been an interesting adjustment after years of leasing farms! Talk about a workout!

I’m married and have two beautiful daughters (four years, and six weeks). My horse is a 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding that I call Ben. He’s new to eventing and running Training level. There is a real need for me to regain my core strength and my leg during this challenge as Ben’s dressage skills have not quite caught up with his cross country prowess.

There have been several times in the past when I have taken up running a few miles a day in an effort to lose weight, but it wasn’t until last summer that I made an effort to get stronger instead of smaller. Ben has my heart and is easily the most powerful and talented horse I’ve ever owned but it only took a couple of cross-country runs on him for me to realize that cleaning stalls and riding every day was not enough. That is when I started doing cross fit. I got more fit than I had ever been, lost all of my unwanted weight, and rode better than I ever had. I had to take a break after finding out that I was pregnant with our second daughter. We are now a family of four and it’s time to get back to work!

My goal is to get back into a healthy eating and workout routine. I’m craving the strength I had last year and I won’t lie, I’d love to lose this baby weight. I don’t expect to do it all in six weeks, but I know a lot can be accomplished in that amount of time if you commit to the change. Last year in my six week cross fit challenge I lost 15 lbs and got strong enough to get into a ‘maintenance’ mentality afterwards. Not bad for just six weeks! The hardest part is getting started, and these challenges are an awesome way to get motivated and find accountability! Now that we’ve started, just keep moving! If you haven’t started yet it’s not too late to start. In six weeks when you’re stronger and thinner, you won’t regret it and your horse will thank you!

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